The first hint: It’s within a small, lesser known California state park.

Second hint (8/13/2012): This park is located at a point where the Sierra Nevada range converges with the El Paso range in southern California.

Third hint (8/21/2012): The name of this park is very similar to a park in Arizona outside of Sedona. As well as one in Nevada.

Fourth hint (8/22/2012): This landmark watering spot on the Native American trade routes is just north of California City, CA and not far as the crow flies from Sequoia National Forest and Death Valley National Park.

The prize: Hikerly fame. I’ll be keeping a very unscientific leaderboard with points awarded for accuracy, sense of humor and anything else I think deserves credit, and when we’re all done, the person who has the most points will be honored on hikerly.com and get my personal adoration. What more could you want? Here’s the latest leaderboard.

The park features desert cliffs, buttes and beautiful rock formations. According to the park’s official Web site:

“The area was once home to the Kawaiisu Indians, who left petroglyphs in the El Paso mountains and other evidence of their inhabitation. The spectacular gash situated at the western edge of the El Paso mountain range was on the Native American trade route for thousands of years. During the early 1870s, the colorful rock formations in the park served as landmarks for 20-mule team freight wagons that stopped for water. About 1850, it was used by the footsore survivors of the famous Death Valley trek including members of the Arcane and Bennett families along with some of the Illinois Jayhawkers. The park now protects significant paleontology sites and the remains of 1890s-era mining operations, and has been the site for a number of movies.”